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Executive and Legislative documents laid before the General Assembly of North-Carolina [1866; 1867]

206 Document No. 24, [Session
would have led to their destruction if there had Ijeeii any
cause lor it. Not being able to see any benefit his army, the
service of the country could derive from the burning of Rail
Ptoad property, or any disadvantage it could be to the encnn-at
that time, I had nothing destroyed, and although it passed
into the hands of the enemy it was all retui'ned in a few days
alter the battle of Kinston to us, without having received the
slighest injury—lience, our o^ierations were scarcely inter-rupted,
and it was all, without presumption, attributablo to a
little connnon sense and discretion."
Again :
" I lionestly confess I have never seen any injur^^ the United.
States armies sustained, or any advantage the Confederate
States armies gained by destroying any of the bridges on the
Atlantic & North Carolina Rail Road. The destruction of the
draw in the Trent River Viaduct would have prevented the
pursuit by the enemy of our flying trot^ps. as efiectually as
did the total destruction of that grand and beautiful work."
We were exceedingly solicitous about the safety of the
bridge referred to, as we believed the section next to the high
land could be taken down and thrown over the river, and be-tween
the abutments could be filled in with earth, the track
laid thereon and the trains run over it with perfect seciu'ity.
But if they were lost, we would then have the insecurity of
the trestle work in the Neuse for a considerable time, as well
also as over the liver bottom. General Baker promptly re-ferred
tliis matter to Colonel Whitford. then connnanding at
Kinston, with instructions not to burn the bridge for the-reasons
I had suggested. That officer informed me on tiie
24th Feln-uary, 1865, " The bridge wdl not be burned. It
woidd be unnecessar}^, as tlie enemy have bridges already
built for the Road, and the destruction of a Rail Road bridge
Would be no obstacle to him." This assurance made us feel
that it was secure, and we were astonished when we h(_'ard
it was finally destroyed, iiot,- however, we are gratified to
state, by the orders of either of the officers alhuhid to: by
whose orders we have been unable to learn, and we presuiue
it is now immaterial to you.
Of the present situation of the Road bed east of Neiise

206 Document No. 24, [Session
would have led to their destruction if there had Ijeeii any
cause lor it. Not being able to see any benefit his army, the
service of the country could derive from the burning of Rail
Ptoad property, or any disadvantage it could be to the encnn-at
that time, I had nothing destroyed, and although it passed
into the hands of the enemy it was all retui'ned in a few days
alter the battle of Kinston to us, without having received the
slighest injury—lience, our o^ierations were scarcely inter-rupted,
and it was all, without presumption, attributablo to a
little connnon sense and discretion."
Again :
" I lionestly confess I have never seen any injur^^ the United.
States armies sustained, or any advantage the Confederate
States armies gained by destroying any of the bridges on the
Atlantic & North Carolina Rail Road. The destruction of the
draw in the Trent River Viaduct would have prevented the
pursuit by the enemy of our flying trot^ps. as efiectually as
did the total destruction of that grand and beautiful work."
We were exceedingly solicitous about the safety of the
bridge referred to, as we believed the section next to the high
land could be taken down and thrown over the river, and be-tween
the abutments could be filled in with earth, the track
laid thereon and the trains run over it with perfect seciu'ity.
But if they were lost, we would then have the insecurity of
the trestle work in the Neuse for a considerable time, as well
also as over the liver bottom. General Baker promptly re-ferred
tliis matter to Colonel Whitford. then connnanding at
Kinston, with instructions not to burn the bridge for the-reasons
I had suggested. That officer informed me on tiie
24th Feln-uary, 1865, " The bridge wdl not be burned. It
woidd be unnecessar}^, as tlie enemy have bridges already
built for the Road, and the destruction of a Rail Road bridge
Would be no obstacle to him." This assurance made us feel
that it was secure, and we were astonished when we h(_'ard
it was finally destroyed, iiot,- however, we are gratified to
state, by the orders of either of the officers alhuhid to: by
whose orders we have been unable to learn, and we presuiue
it is now immaterial to you.
Of the present situation of the Road bed east of Neiise